Get the whole cost.

Name what each charge covers.

Ask separately about the first visit, medicine, tests, follow-up, delivery and any ongoing fee. Mark each as included, extra or not yet known.

In a sample of online weight-care services checked as of September 26, 2026, monthly fees and separate drug charges were common.

Ask what happens to that fee if no prescription is written.

Read beyond the introductory drug price.

As of September 26, 2026, a cash offer for semaglutide (Ozempic injection) lists $199 per month for only the first two monthly supplies.

A “fill” here means one monthly supply from the pharmacy, so this introductory price lasts for two months.

The offer is for US residents aged 18 or older who pay without using insurance.

It names the qualifying strengths as 0.25 mg and 0.5 mg.

Strength means the amount of medicine. The letters mg mean milligrams, a way to measure that amount.

The recorded terms say “new self-pay patients” but do not explain whether “new” means new to Ozempic or new to the offer. Ask the pharmacy whether you qualify if you have used Ozempic before.

For later monthly supplies, the listed price is $349 or $499, with the prescribed strength deciding which amount applies.

The offer has other rules about who can use it and ends on December 31, 2026.

These amounts identify which prescriptions get the price; they are not instructions for how much medicine to use. Ask the pharmacy to match your prescription to the written offer.

Treat insurance approval as its own question.

Ask whether your plan covers the exact medicine for its prescribed purpose. Find out your share of the price and whether approval must come first.

Prior authorization requires the insurer to agree to pay for the prescription before it is supplied by the pharmacy.

Keep the answer separate from a cash offer. Ask for written terms before deciding which route to use.

Check the Medicare route rather than assuming.

GLP-1 drugs imitate a body signal linked to blood sugar and appetite.

As of September 26, 2026, eligible members have a $50 monthly copay under Medicare’s temporary GLP-1 Bridge through December 31, 2027.

Here, copay means the amount a member pays for the drug.

Eligibility starts at age 18 and requires Medicare drug coverage from a plan accepted by the programme.

For the weight rules, height and weight give a number called body mass index (BMI).

The weight requirement is met with a BMI of 35 or more. Some people qualify at a BMI of 30 or more if they meet rules for specific heart, blood-pressure or kidney problems.

At a BMI of 27 or more, qualifying conditions include a past heart attack or stroke. These are examples; ask the person prescribing the medicine to check the full condition list and your health record.

Meeting a weight rule alone does not guarantee you qualify. You also need a prescription and approval before the programme pays.

People who have type 2 diabetes use the usual Medicare drug coverage route rather than this programme.

You cannot use this programme in 2026 if your Medicare drug plan has already paid for GLP-1 medicine in 2026.

The included medicines are Foundayo tablets, Wegovy shots or tablets, and Zepbound in the device named KwikPen.

Zepbound in a single-use bottle or single-use pen is not included.

The $50 payments are excluded from the annual cap on your drug spending through usual Medicare drug coverage.

Even after you reach that limit with other medicines, you still pay $50 each month for medicine through this temporary programme.

Ask the person prescribing the medicine to use Medicare’s eligibility page below to check your weight, health history, plan and exact medicine. Ask which rule you meet and which payment route applies.

Ask what the next payment would be.

Many cash offers and savings cards list an end date of December 31, 2026, in their terms, as checked on September 26, 2026.

Ask about later prices, renewal terms, refunds and how to cancel. The lowest price in an ad is only the start of that conversation.